The Feral House Podcast

With Guests: Nathalie and Jon von Zelowitz, author and translator, respectively, of I Ate His Heart: Interviews with a Cannibal

TECHNICAL NOTE: The quality of the author's audio is poor for the first twelve minutes. Improves at the twenty minute mark.

I Ate His Heart is a true crime confessional like no other--a darkly philosophical interrogation into the meaning of love, desire, and annihilation.

Nathalie von Zelowitz's work explores the internal logic of the crime from the perpetrator’s perspective.

Using firsthand interviews, she presents a detailed account of the psychological, philosophical, and emotional framework that led Bernard to violate humanity's most extreme taboo. She neither sensationalizes nor excuses. Instead, she allows the subject’s words and justifications to speak for themselves, offering readers a rare view into a case that defied common explanations of psychosis or insanity.

Originally published in France to critical acclaim, I Ate His Heart is now available in English--a chilling, cerebral, and elegantly disturbing book that questions our understanding of evil, the unthinkable, and humanity.

Includes a short forward by cultural historian Jack Sargeant.

Driven by her passion for cinema and crime novels, Nathalie von Zelowitz began studying psychology in the late 1980s, intrigued by topics that were considered marginal at the time: serial killers, sex offenders, sexual perversion, and more.

Still in active practice, she has spent decades researching and working with sex offenders, in a prison that holds France’s most extreme and disturbed inmates, where she participated in pioneering psychological research concerning sexual criminals.

With Michael Nirenberg author of Cinematic Immunity: An Oral History of New York Filmmaking As Told by The Crews Who Got The Shot

Cinematic Immunity tells the story of New York City's movie industry from the crew members who created the sets, lit the scenes, and shot the film. Focused on the golden age (1950-1990) of New York filmmaking, Cinematic Immunity covers On the Waterfront through The Sopranos. The East Coast film industry, thousands of miles from the Los Angeles executives, existed by its own rules and with little oversight. It was a close-knit and freewheeling community of movie technicians that took on the most outrageous challenges to get the shot.

Readers will hear the unvarnished truth of the New York movie industry—tales about union politics, studio bullshit, movie families, dangerous locations, complex shots, volatile directors, plus anecdotes about actors, pranks, friendships, rivalries, generational shifts, substance use and abuse, technical feats, and more. Includes stories about classic (and not so classic) films and television shows including: Midnight Cowboy, The Warriors, The French Connection, The Exorcist, The Godfather, The Wiz, The Taking of Pelham 123, Annie Hall, Cruising, Do The Right Thing, When Harry Met Sally, Home Alone 2, The Sopranos, and Law and Order.

Tales of their exploits, what they saw (and did) on these sets was previously only passed among themselves as showbiz lore but now, readers learn of Marlon Brando’s pranks on the set of The Godfather, how crews kept William Friedkin from killing them, the actors, and himself, and how consummate New Yorker Sidney Lumet was the angel to Friedkin’s demons.

Author Michael Lee Nirenberg has worked as a scenic artist in New York since 2006, and in many cases, alongside many of the people featured in the book. This book is a labor of love comprised of over 150 interviews and hundreds of hours of recordings. Cinematic Immunity includes behind-the-scenes images from studio archives and from the technicians who were there.

Cinematic Immunity: An Oral History of New York Filmmaking As Told by the Crews That Got the Shot By Michael Lee Nirenberg • 978-1627311717 Pub Date: April 7, 2026 • 10x 7• 384 pages • $39.95

FERAL HOUSE PODCAST w/ Zodiactually author, Eddie McNamara

Zodiactually: The Real Story of a Fake Serial Killer by Eddie McNamara (pub date: March 3, 2026) Zodiactually peels back decades of myth and sensationalism to expose the chilling truths behind one of the world’s most infamous cases. Through original police files, interviews, and deep dives into archives, McNamara reveals a groundbreaking thesis: the Zodiac Killer wasn’t a single, unstoppable predator, but an urban legend set in motion by an unlikely source and amplified by media and public imagination. The book challenges everything we think we know about the Zodiac and confronts how myth, media, and hysteria shape history.

William S. Bainbridge and the Process Church of the Final Judgment

William Sims Bainbridge is a sociologist and pioneering scholar of religion, science, and fringe belief systems. A former program director at the National Science Foundation, Bainbridge has authored more than two dozen books on topics ranging from space exploration to the sociology of cults. Bainbridge’s work blends empirical rigor with fearless inquiry into the outer edges of human belief.

 

Lucifer’s Power: Beliefs and Practices of the Process Cult is a deep dive into one of the most enigmatic, maligned, and mythologized religious movements of the 20th century. Emerging from the ruins of a Scientology offshoot in 1963 London, The Process Church of the Final Judgment fused apocalyptic theology, Jungian psychology, and countercultural flair into a belief system that unsettled the mainstream and seduced the underground.

Sociologist William Sims Bainbridge—best known for his now-classic Satan’s Power: A Deviant Psychotherapy Cult—was the only outsider ever granted full access to the Process’s inner circle. As a young researcher in Boston during the group’s American phase, Bainbridge documented their rituals, analyzed their ideology, and witnessed firsthand the spiritual theater that would later influence pop culture, conspiracy lore, and alternative religion for decades.

Now, in Lucifer’s Power, Bainbridge revisits Satan’s Power with new insights and unearthed archival material, expanding his original research into a definitive account of the cult’s rise, fragmentation, and lasting cultural imprint. Featuring never-before-published photographs from the height of The Process’s public visibility, this book offers rare primary-source documentation and fearless analysis of a movement that blurred the lines between performance, prophecy, and psychological experimentation.

This is not a retrospective by a distant observer—it’s an insider ethnography from a scholar who lived among the Processeans. Essential reading for counter-cultural historians and the cult-curious seeking to understand the esoteric currents that shaped the late 20th century—and ripple forward still.

Al Ridenour, Author of A Season of Madness and The Krampus

Al Ridenour, creator and host of the popular Bone & Sickle Podcast brings readers back to pagan Europe in A Season of Madness. The book follows the sun from the darkest winter nights to the promise of nature’s rebirth as symbolized by Spring. Ridenour explores the history and customs of the old-world carnival, focusing on European regions where celebrations have gone unchanged for centuries and reflect the brutal realities of the old, agricultural world.

A Season of Madness takes readers to cultural hinterlands where Carnival is strange, marvelous, and even a bit frightening. Where Spring is welcomed by clowns carrying inflated pig bladders and sheepskin monsters walk the land with clubs covered in hedgehog spines and plows are dragged over cobblestone streets by villagers in masks painted with blood. Folk horror fans take heart as the old world beckons with the coming of Spring!

Listeners (and readers) will learn about regional and local celebrations' origins, history, and quirkiness from ancient Rome to modern Bulgaria. Season of Madness explores the interconnectivity of pagan beliefs throughout Europe and how those beliefs and traditions evolved over time and through the Christian conquest.

Ridenour’s first book, Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil (2018) is considered by critics the definitive authority on pagan winter celebrations. Aside from his books and podcast, Ridenour is a sought-after expert and lecturer.

The Feral House Podcast w/ Lisa Pease, author of A Lie Too Big To Fail

A Lie Too Big to Fail is a groundbreaking investigation into the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, based on newly released police files and government records.

Author Lisa Pease, a longtime researcher of both the JFK and RFK cases, presents compelling evidence that the official account—centering on Sirhan Sirhan as the lone assassin—fails to withstand scrutiny. Through exhaustive primary source research, Pease shows how the Los Angeles Police Department suppressed or destroyed evidence, ignored key witness testimony, and constructed a narrative that avoided signs of a broader conspiracy.

The book reveals how the trial of Sirhan Sirhan avoided pursuing critical leads, and how the justice system and press failed to present the public with a full accounting of the facts. Pease draws connections between the RFK case and other political assassinations of the era, raising serious questions about the ability of government institutions to investigate crimes involving their own power structures.

Rather than speculate, Pease relies on meticulous documentation—including LAPD files she personally reviewed on microfilm—to demonstrate that Robert F. Kennedy was viewed by some as a political threat whose rise to the presidency had to be stopped.

Lisa Pease is a lifelong information activist and respected political researcher. She became involved in assassination research in the 1990s, seeking to support her arguments with verifiable documentation. She has been a featured speaker at political and historical conferences in both Dallas and Los Angeles, in addition to her frequent appearances on popular podcasts and radio broadcasts.

Conversation with Gary D. Rhodes, Weirdumentary

Weirdumentary

Ancient Aliens, Fallacious Prophecies, and Mysterious Monsters

From 1970s Documentaries

By Gary D. Rhodes

Foreword by Stephen R. Bissette

 

Dive into the forgotten world of pseudo-scientific documentaries!

Unlock the secrets of the strangest cinematic phenomenon of the 1970s with Weirdumentary—the ultimate guide to the bizarre, the unexplained, and the wildly entertaining films and television programs that blurred the line between fact and fantasy.

Weirdumentary examines dozens of movies and tv series, sold to the unsuspecting public as documentaries, beginning with Chariots of the Gods (1970) and ending with The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1981). Leonard Nimoy’s In Search Of makes an appearance, so does Orson Wells in his late-career role of sinister yet skeptical narrator. Featuring spurious experts, questionable evidence, and low-budget dramatizations, these pseudo-scientific documentaries examined subjects ranging from the Bermuda Triangle to Bigfoot, from the paranormal to speculative histories.

Weirdumentary is a fun and accessible collection of essays by film scholar Gary D. Rhodes. Acclaimed comic book artist, writer, and historian Stephen R. Bissette, best known for his groundbreaking work on DC Comics' Swamp Thing alongside Alan Moore, provides the foreword.

Features hundreds of archival film posters, set photos, and other images in this beautifully designed homage to the high weirdness that shaped a nation of pop culture mavens.

Weirdumentary is a must for fans of cinema and pop culture of the 1970s!

Gary D. Rhodes is a renowned film historian and author with a passion for uncovering the forgotten stories of horror cinema. He’s a world expert on Bela Lugosi and how Dracula is portrayed in films. When he's not diving into dusty film archives, Gary can be found teaching, lecturing, or working on his next independent film.

The Feral House Podcast with guest Dr. Vincent Adejumo, author of The Return of Black Nationalism and the Death of White Supremacy

The Return of Black Nationalism and the Death of White Supremacy delves into the dynamic history and powerful future of Black nationalism in the United States. Professor Vincent Adejumo takes readers on a fascinating journey through time, unraveling the rich history of Black nationalism and its role as a steadfast defense against white supremacy.

 

He shines a light on the remarkable individuals and leaders who have shaped Black American identity from the 1700s to the present, bringing their stories to life with vivid detail and insightful analysis.

 

The history of resistance provides the blueprint for a new pathway to Black power and demonstrates how embracing Black nationalism helps all Americans. Discover a different America through Adejumo’s eyes, where the concept of ‘Separate but Equal’ is reinterpreted and the essence of Blackness is celebrated.

 

Features dozens of historical images and a powerful foreword by Dr. Adeyemi Doss. Activist, musician, and artist Chuck D. created original artwork specifically for the book's cover.

 

This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the profound impact of Black Nationalism on America’s past, present, and future.

 

Dr. Vincent Edward Oluwole Adejumo is the founder of the Olu Institute of Learning Inc. and a public lecturer for the Florida Humanities Council. His work is focused on the African American experience, particularly in the Southern United States. Dr. Adejumo holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Florida, with a specialization in policy and administration. The Return of Black Nationalism and the Death of White Supremacy is his first book.

Conversation with Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn author and television producer Jeff Copeland

Christina speaks with Jeff about the creation and edit process of his book and shares fun and funny stories about Holly and trying to make it as a Hollywood screenwriter. More about Jeff's book, Love You Madly, Hollywoodlawn...

 

Holly Woodlawn, once lauded by George Cukor for her performance in the 1970 Warhol production, Trash, was washed up. Over. Kaput. She was living in a squalid Hollywood apartment with her dog and bottles of Chardonnay. A chance meeting with starry-eyed corn-fed Missouri-born Jeff Copeland, who moved to Hollywood with dreams of ‘making it’ as a television writer, changed the course of BOTH of their lives forever.

Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn is the story of how an unlikely friendship with a young gay writer and an, ahem, mature trans actress and performer created the bestselling autobiography of 1991, A Low Life in High Heels. This book about writing a book is a celebration of chutzpa and love as Holly, the embodiment of Auntie Mame, introduces Jeff to the glamorous (and sometimes larcenous) world of a Warhol Superstar. In turn, Jeff uses his writing (and typing) talent to give Holly the second chance at fame she craved.

Hilarious and heartwarming, Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn is a portrait of the real Holly who loved deeply, laughed loudly, and left mayhem in her wake. Features dozens of archival and personal photographs, including a full-color insert of rarely seen editorial fashion portraits. Foreword by queer icon and author, Simon Doonan.

The Feral House Podcast with Cold Glitter author, Robert Dayton

Cold Glitter is available worldwide at fine booksellers and internet retailers. And directly from Feral House.

 

Cold Glitter is a province-by-province walking tour of the soft sequined underbelly I never knew I had, as a so-called Canadian. It is enlightening and hilarious and in the end inspiring. Cold Glitter creates a home for the perverse and the ecstatic, in a nation vehemently down on both.” Dan Bejar, musician (Destroyer, and member of The New Pornographers).

 Robert Dayton taps his Canadian roots to reveal mind-blowing stories of musicians who performed and recorded equally mind-blowing music full of PIZZAZZAMATAZZ.

It's a universal story of determined musicians striving to get their songs heard and maybe get a little famous…Canada famous. Dayton has spent years researching and interviewing these ground-breaking musicians trapped by geography, colonial mindsets, and the difficulties of penetrating the cultural behemoth that is the United States. 

Readers everywhere will find solidarity with the all-too-familiar story of artists daring to be different. The struggle to be fabulous are requires makeup, elaborate costumes, and endless miles through the frozen tundra. Cold Glitter is filled with anecdotes of fun and mayhem.

Meet familiar names like magician Doug Henning, Vancouver band Sweeney Todd and their lead singer Nick Gilder, and his replacement, Bryan Adams, to underground heroes like The Dishes, No Fun, and Thor and the numerous musicians who put away their mascara and left their glamorous wild days behind.

Originally from Fort St. John, British Columbia, Robert Dayton is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, performer, and comedian who has been in such musical acts as Canned Hamm and July Fourth Toilet. His previous book was The Empty Bed.

“The always-entertaining Robert Dayton details a mysterious, undocumented scene that was hiding in plain sight up North. Written with the enthusiasm of a renegade entomologist who just uncovered a rare, precious, and peculiar bee, the book is loaded with colorful characters and alternate-universe tales.” Gregg Turkington, actor, writer, and comedian best known for his character, Neil Hamburger.